Healthy Living Through Massage

At some point, I figured that I just had to write about massages in China. After my colleague, Diane Bailey, sent me the New York Times list of the best spas in China, I figured that the cat was out of the bag. Yes, I like massages... I love massages, and I've had about as many as I can fit in while in China. I've had Thai massages, traditional Chinese massages, head massages, and so many foot massages that I lost count. One day in Guilin, while waiting for my mom and sister's flight from Hongzhou, I had a full 4 hours of massage treatments.

Its been interesting to see the range of massages available in China. One of my favorites (in theory... I haven't had one yet) is the "blindman massage." These massages are actually carried out by blind men -- their sense of touch is said to be more acute. A personal favorite is the omnipresent foot massage. I think that just about every block in every city in China has a place to have a foot massage. No kidding... even the Beijing airport has a foot massage salon which, of course, I had to try. And, its packed... waiting room only. The fascinating thing to me about the foot massages here is that they're a very social activity. There are always at least three chairs in the room and usually a large screen TV in front of the chairs. People chat, watch TV, and have their feet rubbed. The photo shows my mom and sister after their foot massage. (My chair was the one on the right.) Foot massages are considered medicinal. People have foot massages not just because it feels good, but because it helps digestion, and overall health. When sitting down for a foot massage, the client is often asked which package of herbs s/he wants. Each package contains the minerals that will be put in the water to soak the feet (the first step of the massage) and the lotion that will be rubbed into the feet (the second step of the massage). These packages are supposed to be selected based on what ails you. The packages of herbs can cost up to twice the price of the massage itself.

Overall though, the prices of massages in China is really low. In the high-priced hotels, the cost is about 75% of what we generally pay in California, but local spas (which are usually just as good, but aren't "spa like"... e.g. with soothing music, waterfalls, etc.) are about 20-30% of what I pay at home. A one-hour foot massage costs about 80 RMB (about $11) and a 90-minute full-body massage about 250 RMB (about $33).